Electric safety-razor



H. SENGEBUSCH.

ELECTRIC SAFETY RAZOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULYZ. 1917.

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siren stares HANS SENGEBUSCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC QAFE'IY-RAZOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented June a, teen.

Application filed July 2, 1917. Serial No. 178,122..

that kind in which the blade is rapidly reciprocated'on the guard, byback-and-forth sliding motion of the blade in the bladeholder, so thatthe blade has. a sawing action at the cutting edge thereof, and wherebythe operation of shaving is made easier and more satisfactory, for thereason that the cutting is not only accomplished by the forward strokesof the razor in the hand of the user, in the ordinary manner, but alsoby the rapid reciprocation'of the blade relative to the guard with whichthe razor, being a safety razor,'is necessarily provided.

It will be seen that this is an improvement on the construction shownand described in application Serial No. 150,378, filed February 23,1917, in which the invention is covered broadly.

The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction whereby the different parts thereof can be easily assembledand taken apart, and whereby the razor will be comparatively inexpensiveto manufacture.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction and combinations tending to increase the general eiiicienoyand desirability of an electric safety razor of this particularconstruction.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a safetyrazor embodying the principles of the invention, showing the end portionof the handle broken away for convenience of illustration. I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the'structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

' swinging j aw-section Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but with thehandle and magnet omitted, and showing the blade-holder open.

1g. 6 is a perspective of the body-section of the blade-holder.

perspective of the pivot or of the blade-holder, by which the blade isclamped in place.

Fig. '8 is a perspective of the blade-retainer and guide, being theelement which reciprocates with the blade.

ig. 9 is a perspective of one end-portion of the element shown in Fig.8, turned over, and showing Fig, 7 is a one end-portion of the blade. Asthus illustrated, the invention comprises a handle A provided with ahead B, which latter is cylindric in form, and which contains anelectro-magnet b, the latter being disposed transversely of the handle.This magnet is provided with a core 1 and the coils 2, of any suitablecharacter, said core having a pole-piece 3 which projects throughoneend-wall of the cylindric head B, so that the the exception of saidpole-piece. The head B can be made of metal or any other suitablematerial which will be suitable for the purpose, and is sealed at bothends so that the magnet is contained in a water-tight compartment,whereby no leakage can occur to injure the magnet. The coils 2 areadapted to receive an alternating current, of suitable character, andfor this purpose electric conductors may extend through thehandle A tothe terminals of the electro-magnet, whereby the latter is energized bythe alternating current.

The blade-holder comprises a body-section C which is formed ofsheet-metal, and which is of such shape that it has teeth 0 to form theusual guard along one edge thereof. This body-section C is provided withcurved walls .4 and 5 to fit the cylindric outer surface of'the head B,and to form a seat for the latter, the wall 4 having a curled por tion 6to serve as a pivotal bearing. At its opposite ends, the section (l isprovlded with brackets 7 having openings 8 to provide supports orbearings for the I'pintle 9, which latter is of any suitable character.The jaw-section D is also formed from sheetmetal, being provided at itsopposite ends entire magnet is inclosed, with with brackets 10 havingopenings 11 for the pintle 9, being provided with' a jaw or clampingportion 12 to rest upon the blade E, and with a rear curved wall 13which conforms to the cylindric rear side of the head B, when the latteris in position in the blade-holder. The blade-retainer F is made ofsheet-metal, and has a flat body-portion f formed at its opposite endswith turned-over or bent lugs 14; which engage and hold the oppositeends of the blade, and the rear edge of this plate or retainer and guideF is provided with lugs 15 which extend over the rear edge of the blade.Also, it will be seen,

the flat body-portion f has a portion thereof partially cut out andturned up to form an arm 16 having the opening 17, which latter engagesthe end portion 18 of the flat spring 19, which latter is securedflatwise to the armature 20 of said magnet, it being observed that thisarmature is a flat disk of iron or steel disposed directly in front ofthe pole-piece 3 of the magnet. The other end of the spring 19 isprovided with a rigid pin 21 which engages the pivot bearing 6, whereby,after the portion is disengaged from the opening 17, the armature 20 andspring 19 and the pin 21 can be removed together as a unitary orseparate part, or may be removed from the blade-holder along with themagnet which forms the head. of the handle. sition shown in Figs. 1, 2,3 and 4, the blade is locked in the blade-holder, and the bladeholder isheld on the magnet in the position shown, by the interlocking engagementbetween the portion 18 and the'opening 17, so that the socket-piece 23of the portion 4 of the blade-holder. "It will be understood that thetubular rear edge-portion 24 rOf the blade-retainer and guide F ismounted on the pintle 9, so that the flat body-portion f swings aboutthe same axis that the clamping jaw D swings on when theblade-holderisopened to release the blade. When the parts are all together, fixedrelation to eaclrotherby the interposed head B of the handle, so thatthe clamping 1 portion 12 of the swinging jaw is held firmly on theblade, and the latter may have itsv ends provided with notches 25 toengage the lugs 14 of the blade'retainen When the current is turned'on,so that the magnet b is energized by the alternating current, thearmature 20 is rapidly vibrated, and this reciprocates theblade-retainer F endwise, on the pintle 9, causing the blade E to have arapid endwise reciprocation on the guard 0, by a back-and-forth slidingmotion in the blade-holder. This, of course, causes the sharp edge ofthe blade to have asawing actionwhen in use, as well as a direct forwardcutting action, so that the razor bethe When the parts are in the po-'22 is held in the notch the portions 1 and 13. are held in 1 comeseffective by simply moving it slowly forward, and. the shavingoperationis thus rendered much easier and more satisfactory.

To remove the blade, the cylindric head 13' ing jaw-section D to beswung outward (see Fig. 5), and then the blade-retainer F can be swunginto position to facilitatethe removal of the blade edgewise therefrom,by lifting the front edge of the blade to raise the notches 25 from thelugs 14, thus permitting the rear portion of the blade to slide oversaid lugs.

blade-holder. is locked in position to retain projection 26 As. stated(see Fig. 1), the

the blade while the-cylindric head B is in position between theportions4 and 13,- as

engages the indentation i 27 to hold the head B against rotation; but,the portion 13 is sufiiciently springy to per? mit disengagement of theprojection 26 from the indentation 27, and when the bladeholder isremoved, after rotating the magnet in the holder, the two portions aand13 V are thenfree to have relative movement toward each other, thusopeningthe bladeholder blade.

With the foregoing construction, it will} 1 00 be seen thatytheblade-holder can be made and permitting the'removal of the.

more or less economically and cheapl from sheet-metahby. simply stampingan bending the parts, and

that the construclion .of

the magnet is also very simple'and comparatively inexpensive. The saidmagnet, as previously hermetically sealed in the head B so that no watercan leak into the compartment which contains themagnet during the use ofthe razor.- The blades can be of any suitable character, but arepreferably thin fiat blades,

of suitably tempered steel, with one cutting edge, but it is obviousthat by omitting the lugs 15', and holding the blade only-at the endsthereof, double-edged blades can be .used, if such are desired. The headB can bemade water-tight in any suitable or desired manner, or theinterior of this cylindric shell or head can befilled with paraffin orsome similar preparation which will protect the magnet and prevent theentrance of water.

- With the foregoing construction, it will be seen that the armature 19is mounted to vibrate freely andlunrestrictedly and without exercisingany control over the electric current, so that said armature and theblade vibrate in unison, at high speed. The magstated, and "as shown, ispractically net, of course, remains stationary during this rapidvibration of the armature.

With the foregoing construction, it will be seen that the momentum ofthe armature 20, while in motion, is substantially in the same directionas that of the blade, so that the vibration of parts is all transverselyof the razor handle, and in a direction parallel or substantially orpractically parallel with. the edge of the guard c. In this way, thereis no vibration, or tendency toward vibration, in a directionlongitudinally of the handle A, while the razor is in operation; but, atthe same time, the handle and magnet are removable as a unit, with thearmature on the outside of the head of the magnet casing, and'the hingedclamping member D cannot be swung away from the, blade until after themagnet is removed, whereby the magnet constitutes the means forretaining the blade-holding device closed on the blade.

What I claim as my invention is 1. An electrically operated safety razorof the type wherein means are provided to movably support a vibratoryarmature at one end and to detachably connect the free end thereof witha blade, so that the armature and blade vibrate in unison, and with themomentum of thearmature substantially in the same direction as that ofthe blade, the magnet being disposed in position to act upon the middleportion of said armature and being wound to receive alternating currentto electrically cause endwise sliding movement of the blade relativelyto a guard in one direction, and wherein a spring is provided formechanically actuating the arma-. ture and blade in the oppositedirection, characterized by this, to-wit'z-that guiding means for theblade are provided, including 7 a hinged clamping member to hold saidblade in operative position, in combination with means for removablyholding the magnet and to prevent removal of the blade except by firstremoving the magnet from the structure in which the blade is held.

2. A. structure as specified in claim 1, said guiding means including areciprocating blade-retainer hinged on the axis of said clamping member.

3. A- structure as specified in claim 1, and a handle, said magnethaving a cylindric water-tight casing forming a head for said handle,which handle and head are removable as a unit, and said armature beingcarried on the outside of said head.

4:. A structure as specified in claim 1, said magnet being rotatablymovable in the razor, and means whereby said magnet must be rotated fromnormal position before it can be removed.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said guiding means including apintle for said clamping member.

guiding means including a pintle for the rear edge of said clampingmember, and a re ciprocating blade-retainer on said pintle.

8. The combination of a handle, an electric motor forming a fixed headfor said handle, a'blade, and a blade-holding device which is slidableonto and off from said head, so that the head forms a support for saiddevice, having meansto operatively connect said blade with said motor.

9. In a safety razor, a blade-holder having a pintle, a blade-retainerand guide mounted -on said pintle, whereby said blade-retainer and guideis supported for both swinging movement and endwise reciprocation, ablade detachably held on said blade-retainer and guide, and means to raidly reciprocate said blade-retainer and gui e, said blade-holder havinga guard to support the reciprocating cutting-edge of the blade.

10. A structure, as specified in claim 9, said means comprising an'elect'ro-magnet provided with a vibratory armature 'having means todetachably engage said blade-retainer and guide, and means whereby saidarmature is removable when detached from said blade-retainer. 4

11. A structure, as specified inclaim 9, said means being electricallyoperated and having provisions to engage and disengage saidblade-retainer and guide.

12. In an electrically operated safety razor, two inovably connectedblade clamping members having opposed blade clamping portions, otherportions extending from the blade clamping portions, means comprising ashell containing an electric magnet and removably and frictionallyengaging said other portions'to force said blade clamping portionstoward each other, so that a blade ,may be slidably clamped betweenthem, an armature mov'ably mountedon one of said other portions anddisposed in position to be operated by said magnet, and means adapted toconnect the armature with the blade in said razor, whereby the vibrationof the armature will reciprocate the blade.

13. In a safety razor, the combination of means including a pair ofpivotallyconnected clamping jaws, a blade clamped between said jaws, oneof said'jaws having means forming a guard for the cutting edge of theblade, a handle, a fixed head on said handle, and portions rigid withsaid clamping jaws to detachably engage said head, thereby 'to keep saidjaws clamped tightly upon the blade, said head being removable e frombetween said portions to. permit the complete disconnection of said jawsand blade from the handle and the opening of said jaws.

14. A structure as specified in claim 13, said head being cylindric inform to permit oscillation thereof between said portions and meanswhereby partial rotation of sai H S SENGEBUSCH.

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